The Internal Security Agency of Libya announced on Saturday that it had successfully stopped an attempt to smuggle 100kg of gold and 1.5 million euros at Misrata International Airport during a routine security check of a flight.
According to the agency's verified Facebook page, the gold bars were concealed in three suitcases, while the money was hidden in a single suitcase. These suitcases were discovered during the security screening process of a flight bound for Turkey.
The agency shared several images showing the confiscated suitcases filled with gold bars and bundles of euro banknotes. Misrata, a port city located approximately 200km east of the capital Tripoli, was the scene of this significant interception.
The agency further stated that "those responsible for these suitcases were arrested." This incident comes on the heels of a similar case in May, when the Tripoli-based attorney-general ordered the arrest of the director-general of customs and other officials at Misrata International Airport for conspiring to smuggle nearly 26,000kg of gold.
Libya has struggled with instability since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising, which led to the country splitting between eastern and western factions in 2014.
